41 games into the season, how do the Sixers compare to last year? Have they gotten any better? Have they gotten worse? Are they about the same? What should we expect for the second half of the season? What will it take to move up to the 4th or 5th playoff spot, where they need to be to have the best chance at winning their first playoff series since 2003? Lot’s of questions and many more not listed.
This is my mid-season check-up, and I hope it will help answer some of those questions.
The Numbers
I went through and broke down the Sixers’ first half team stats and compared them to the first 41 games last season.
As much frustration as we have endured this season the Sixers haven’t put us through as much as the first half last year. They are better in 15 statistical of 19 categories and tied in one – fast break points.
Although they are still sub .500 we have 4 more wins that last year which means even without Brand progress is there. Who knows whether this would be the case had Cheeks not been fired or Brand not been hurt. That is why question marks still remain. We still don’t know who this team is when they are 100% healthy. Are they the dysfunctional bunch we witnessed to start the year or an even better version of the winners we’ve enjoyed as of late?
The Sixers have struggled offensively this season. They are 21st in offensive efficiency in the NBA at 105.6 points per 100 possessions. They still are a weak overall shooting club that, although hot lately, lacks consistency. But the biggest problem is their turnovers. They are 24th in the NBA in turnover rate. (What’s interesting is the Boston Celtics are last, yet they have a 35-9 record. They are good enough in other areas and have enough talent to make up for their poor ball security.)
The Sixers on the other hand aren’t good enough to do that, and it always comes back to shooting ability. They need more possessions to score because their rate of putting the ball in the hole, from the field and the line, is so poor. And as we all have seen, turnovers are usually the cause of blown leads and close games being lost. Other than individual players placing more value on possessions, I don’t know how to fix this problem. They just get sloppy and make poor passing decisions at times. Chalk it up to being young?
The Sixers are 8th in defensive efficiency allowing 105 points per 100 possessions. So clearly their defense isn’t a major problem as much as we like to complain about it game-to-game. As a whole their struggles have been on the offensive end. With that said, if they continue to turn the ball over the way they have they will need to make up for that deficiency somewhere else. The defensive end is the best area to do so. They have shown spurts of phenomenal defense. Both with their effort and with their execution. If they want to be more than a first round loser they will need to extend those great spurts into multiple quarters and full games.
Second Half Outlook
The most important number above is 4. The Sixers are 4 wins ahead of last year’s 40-win pace. 44 wins would be the most since 2003 and easily enough to get into the playoffs. According to John Hollinger’s playoff odds the Sixers have a 92.5% chance to reach the playoffs and right now has them with a projected record of 45-37 which is good for 5th in the Eastern conference.
Since Tony Dileo took over, the Sixers are winning at rate of .611. In order to reach 45 wins the Sixers would need to finish the regular season 25-16 essentially continuing to win at the rate they have been the last 18 games under Dileo. Doable? Sure, anything is possible. What the Sixers have going for them is the fact that only 19 of their remaining 41 games are against teams currently with a winning record. But three things MUST happen…
- Elton Brand’s integration must be quick and seamless. The Sixers don’t have the luxury of a 10-15 game adjustment period like they did at the start of the season.
- They must show consistency on both sides of the ball. Teams that win at .600 rate rarely go on 5+ game losing streaks. That is especially the case when you are trying to dig out of an early season hole as the Sixers are.
- They must start winning close games. They’ve been blowing out teams lately. That can be deceiving sometimes. What they still need to prove (at least to me) is that they can close games strong. That means execute offensively down the stretch (kill the isos please and run a play), make free throws, not turn over the ball and dig in defensively when they need a key stops.
If they can consistently do those things, a 4th or 5th seed is reachable – and necessary to really show progress.
I will say it over and over again. The Sixers can be dangerous. They have the potential to compete with elite teams every night. But they haven’t shown enough consistency in their play in games or game-to-game for either of those two statements to be a realistic expectation. We can sit here and say “if they do this, if they do that, if they keep playing this way” all day. At some point they have to actually do it for an extended period of time.
For me this last 41 games will be a strong indicator as to what we can expect from this roster for the next few seasons. It needs to be consistently good for me to really get my hopes up and raise expectations beyond a mere playoff team.
Other Sixers Halfway Point Reviews
- Liberty Ballers
- Depressed Fan: Guards – Swings – Bigs
Good breakdown.
Its hard know what to make of the 1st 1/2 because the team was so hot and cold. As well as they have been playing, its hard to expect consistency from them- although that’s what they managed to do the 2nd half of last season.
Last year the turnaround coincided with the emergence/utilization of Thad. This year we have to hope that they already turned the corner, but I want to see another 15 strong showings (and integrating Brand) before saying this is a solid team. They really could end up anywhere from 38-26 wins.
Do you see an X factor like Thad was the 2nd half of last year? The one responsible for turning this team around? Maybe it has already happened, and the X factor is DiLeo. Maybe its the improved play of Iguodala.
I would love to see Brand be the X Factor- which was the goal heading into the season. The team has shown it can win for spurts without him- it would be great to see them take it to the next level when he is fully back. Hollinger suggests the Sixers have a shot to be an elite team by the end of the year, and I think it would take a great comeback by Brand, and some great coaching for that to happen.
tk76 – The X-factor could/should be Brand especially consider what we have invested in him and Dileo and Stefanski blatantly saying they believe he is the player that makes this team elite.
But don’t rule out Thaddeus being that player again this year. I think he has been just OK this season, which suggests he could break out again in the last 41 games. He’s shown what he is capable of in a few games, like everything else with this team consistency spell success.
Dannie, I think Thad could have broken out earlier if plays were run for him. He started this year on fire but the team “never ran plays for him.” Then when he cooled off he production fell off a cliff.
Dileo is actually starting off games with Plays for Thad, and has gone to him in the post when there is a favorable match-up. Its no surprise that he has heated up again now that his number is being called.
I still ave hope that Young/Iguodala can be an impact combo on both ends for 5+ years. Right now they are doing better at 3/4, but eventually at 2/3 when the Sixers are ready to put out a frontcourt of Brand/Speights (next year?)
Thaddeus runs like the wind, jumps like a grasshopper, hustles for loose balls, but he is not yet a thinking player of the game, if he ever will be; plays on instincts and quickness. Rushed pace at times,
average handle, spotty shooting, and lack of D strength portend another B grade in second half, with more ’strongly contributing’ than ‘where was he?’ performances . A player with a good attitude and perspective, but bounding improvement each year and top echelon stardom as some predict is unrealistic imo. That said, watching him surely beats watching Tim Thomas or Kenny Thomas.
There are only about 5 players Thad’s age getting regular minutes in the NBA. He also compares favorably to what TMac and Kobe were doing at age 20. He is an efficient scorer with by all accounts a great attitude. He still has a ton of upside, and could still be a top level star.
I agree that hee still has a lot to add to his game. He has a great 1st step and touch- things that can’t be learned. To be a star he needs to learn to draw fouls when he drives, improve his handle and his passing. These are areas that can be learned.
I won’t say that he is a lock to be a strt, but I would not close the door either.
I know it’s a bit off the topic, but did you see that it looks like Cheeks will join ex-Sixer Lionel Hollins’ staff in Memphis this weekend. Hollins is expected to be the successor to another ex-Sixer, Marc Iavaroni, who was fired in Memphis.
Yeah, interesting developments. Looks like Cheeks still wants to coach. Good for him. He is best served in an assistant role in my opinion.
I guess I am not the only one that thinks 45 wins is possible this year. Nice to see Hollinger come to my side
. Thank you for the great, balance blog. There are alot of question marks and I believe the next 15 games will answer most of them. Even the coming week will be a good start on the answer.
Thad playing on instincts and quickness isn’t surprising, especially considering his age and the fact that he only played one year of college ball.
Most athletes in all sports follow the same arc. They start out by relying more on natural athletic ability and finish out by relying more on intelligence and accumulated knowledge to make plays.
I’ll take what we’re getting from Thad for now and hope that he continues to work on his game, adds smarts to the mix, and becomes a very good player.
BTW, I will be at the game tomorrow. I am in section 219, row 2. If anyone else is going let me know and we can meet up somewhere in the arena before the tip.
tk76 First stat you mention may speak more to Sixers’ roster weakness on his arrival than player strength, but point taken. TMac & Kobe brought better handles – a required tool for away-from-basket stardom. ( TMac’s a nice shooter for his size, but is not a “Big Mac” in my book – his teams don’t win in playoffs.) Am not closing book on Thad’s potential either, just reading between the lines. I see him as a talented asset, not necessarily a career mainstay, though players with
good attitudes are valuable commodities. Great thing about opinions: they’re subject to change.
I feel really good about this team.
The 1/2 court offense has grown tremendously with use of the 3 pt shot. Finally, the court is stretched a bit wider for the sixers which should help Elton out a bit when he is used in the post.
The defensive effort is there and I suspect will continue as long as Dileo continues to hold his players accountable which must also hold true for Elton. Reggie & Speights must continue to get minutes.
Will be a very entertaining 2nd half. Looking forward to greater success than last year during the stretch and playoff run.
So if what I read about Thad going to the bench when Brand is ready to start again is true, that will mean that the great Igoudala at SG experiment is essentially defunct. What that says to me is that priority #1 immediately becomes finding an NBA starting caliber SG, which, as the dominoes fall, would open up the possibility (necessity?) of resigning Miller.
JJG, I agree. Partly because of the better handles , Kobe and TMac had better assist numbers even early in their careers.
I think Thad looks to create for others, and see him as a potential 3-4 APG player in 1-2 years once he can dribble better. I doubt he will ever be a 6 APG player like Kobe, TMac or Iguodala. Especially given he will play next to Iguodala and there are only so many assists to go around.
Best case, Thad is a more effecient scorer than TMac or Kobe. maybe 29-22 ppg on 50% shooting. But to be truly effecient he has to start drawing more fouls. he talks about being more of a finesse player, but he is bulking up quickly. At SF he needs to learn to take advantage of his size/strength as much as his quickness and agility.
Correction: 19-22 ppg (not 29 ppg
tk76: I agree that drawing fouls, and becoming a more consistent rebounder and ball handler, is far more important for Thad’s improvement than assists.
Morty, the Iguodala SG experiment is not defunct… just on hold until Thad is ready to be a full time SF. Meaning he needs to continue to improve on his handle and shot.
Next year:
Brand/Speights/Thad/Iguodala/PG
Morty, Seems to be a trend where most NBA teams have a role player in the starting lineup and ours is Willie (Unless you also count Sammy). Don’t think Thad has fully grown into the 3 spot. I suspect they’ll continue this way until they hit a rough spot and then make the change. Iggy & Thad should be our future at the 2 & 3 positions. At least I hope so.
Great article Dannie, thanks for taking the time.
I am really curious to see how EB’s return plays out. I am really optimistic that with the right direction and proper adjustments he could still be the player that ES believed he would be for this team.
Hollinger touched on something in that article that I have been thinking about myself, would it be a good move to maybe push Dalembert to the bench and start EB at the 5 when the time comes?
At 6’8 250lbs, he is a undersized for a “traditional” center, but with his long arms , wide body and strength, I think he would be more than capable of guarding most centers in this league (with the exception of the taller centers Yao, Z, Shaq etc..). Miami is doing the same thing with Haslem and Anthony and are doing just fine, Wade may have something to do with that, but it shows it is possible.
What do you all think?
Ryan, I’d prefer they not mess with Sammy’s head any more than they already have. He seems to be providing quality effort these days. I really see Elton playing anywhere from 6 to 10 minutes a game at center most nights. If we cut back on Willies minutes and give those to Thad at the 3 instead of the 4 position that could happen.
SFW, teams are starting lesser players to be sure they have adequate scoring punch off the bench. You only can have so many guys who need the ball at the same time.
That makes sense in terms of Lou or maybe even Speights… but Thad is a more efficient scorer who benefits when there is more attention on other players. I think he is better suited as a starter then off the bench.
bski Re instincts and quickness, who said it was surprising? Just asserted a fact.
Only played one year of college ball? His decision. Young appears as a pro athlete, is paid as a pro athlete; as a paying fan, I expect him to perform as a pro athlete – no mulligans or handicaps. Support Biddy League ball as NBA product? - your choice.
“Most athletes in all sports follow the same arc.” First of all, in Thad’s case, you’re assuming a development arc. And, fundamentally, your statement is a sweeping generalization (in many instances not holding water).
Your 3rd paragraph: Ibid.
Ryan, I’d leave Sam at center until Speights is ready to step in to the starting line-up next to Brand. He still has a lot to work on defensively, so maybe not until next year.
I’m not a huge fan of starting with Brand/Thad at C/PF. Fine for spurts, but to small to set the tone defensively as your starting unit.
The starting lineup of Sam/Brand/Thad/Iguodala/Miller actually leads the team in +/-, so I would go with that for now.
tk, I agree with your premise and I want Thad to start but there are still flaws in his game that need improvement. Maybe, Management prefers he improves upon them before rewarding him with a starting position OR it may be as simple as it ain’t broke, so don’t fix it OR they don’t want to initiate to much change with Elton returning to the lineup. I suspect we’ll find out before the end of the regular season.
No matter what he chioses to do, DiLeo is going to have to make a tough call in a couple of weeks when Brand is ready to return to the starting line-up. Brand won’t be coming off the bench for long.
If tey really wanted to preserve as much continuity as possible they would insert Brand in for Sam, as some media have suggested… but I doubt DiLeo goes this route.
My best guess, in 2-3 weeks the starting lineup:
60% chance: Sam/Brand/Iguodala/Green/Miller
15% chance: Brand/Thad/Iguodal/Green/Miller (more likely if a winning streak)
15% chance: Sam/Brand/Thad/Iguodala/Miller
10% chance: Trade of Miller or Sam
Does this sound about right?
sfw – I couldn’t care less about messing with Sammy’s head, he knows where he is on this team already, I’m sure. He hasn’t done so much better lately than the beginning of the year, just now the team is winning a “little bit” and fans are becoming content again. I am not calling for his head or for him to be traded, but if it would help the team win games I don’t care how he feels.
I just feel this team has to be able to run and when you have Sam and Brand in the game at the same time I feel the team goes from 4 players on the break to 3 instantly. Also, Brand needs SPACE to contribute large on offense, and while Willy may not be the best SG in the league, teams have to respect the fact that he’ll knock down an open shot occasionally. While the only time the other team respects Sam’s capabilities is when he is back on D under the rim, and I am sure they would defer just as much if it was Brand.
To me the bottom line is this, the team plays good basketball with the 1-4 lineup they have put out there recently and they did well last year as soon as they went to that same lineup. Brand is not going to be warming that seat in the beginning of games for long, if it is more than 1 or 2 games I would be astonished. So somehow he has to be integrated back without disturbing the chemistry the rest of the team has been building, throw Sammy on the bench and lets see how it works.
Ryan, I think that would be a major mistake unless Theo or Speights are put in there. Sammy does protect the basket when playing agressively which he has done since Dileo’s been here. Teams would be taking the ball to the hole if a shot blocker isn’t in there. Particularly, when you have players like Andre Miller and Lou Will who spend a lot of time on the court and don’t play lock down defense. If Sammy & Elton don’t mesh, I’m sure there will be other combo’s tried but you have to give that tandem a shot first.
I can’t believe I’m defending Sammy but when he gives effort, he impacts the game on Defense.
tk76 – I understand how you feel, and Sam does contribute A LOT on the defensive end, and is a valuable asset. It just concerns me to see this team go back to the starting lineup from the beginning of the year, because we’ve already seen that show.
I wouldn’t be surprised if DiLeo has already made his mind up, and is possibly leaning towards Brand at the 5. He is a big fan of the up-tempo “run-n-gun” game, and he wants shooters on the court. I think we all agree that the easiest way to do so is to bench Sam.
Here’s how I am looking at it
Offense
This is a “no brainer” to me. We take our lineup that is playing better offensively and add a proven player that can consistently knock down a 15 ft jumper, and can pretty much take anyone off the left block. We get someone that can catch passes in traffic, and finish consistently under the rim. We lose nothing at all and gain a ton.
Defense
Here is where it could be “iffy”. You take out a LONG athletic center that not only blocks shots but alters almost every shot that is taken within 10 ft of the rim while he’s in the game. Brand is smaller but a very good shot blocker for his size. He also plays much bigger than he actually is, he is hefty and strong enough to play position D and keep bigs from getting too deep and his arms are long enough to contest shots when he gets beat by even the biggest of centers. I think you break even here because Brand is smarter and can play just as good all-around D as Sammy, at the worst you lose just a small amount at this end of the floor.
Sammy’s resopnse
If he feels left out or starts to whine you say to him if Brand can accept coming off the bench for just a handful of games then he should be able to accept being a career bench player. If it negatively impacts the team you do your best to move him without losing too much.
The filthiest words that this Greek could ever here are Thad Young will be coming off the bench and Willie Greene will be starting. Insert about 20 curses right here because it’s just the stupidest idea. Willie Greene, aka the darling of the beat writers because he is a good guy who just plain stinks on the hardwood. When your team gives a guy like that 20 minutes a game, then chasing championships are out and moral victories are in. Make him the 12th man, make him our Kevin Ollie guy who worked with the youngsters. You know it’s bad when a player makes 3.4 million and he is considered a salary albatross.
I’d say there’s better than a 50-50 chance Green continues starting and Young comes off the bench once Brand is starting again. Young is willing to come off the bench, will still play a lot in the fourth quarter (when Green rarely does) and it allows Iguodala to play more small forward and get more chances closer to the rim.
Practice update: Speights was fine after missing most of Thursday with left knee tendinitis. Evans again didn’t go due to the flu.
Iguodala’s all-star chances (long shot, at best) were one of the topics of conversation. He’s had a great January while Sixers are 7-3 in the month, but had to play at that level all year on winning team to have a shot at forward.
Tom do you still have a blog? I remember that I had your page bookmarked but your blog wasn’t updated too often. But judging by your activity here I could understand how your papermight have been to blame and not you. Thank you for all of your updates here.
Dannie, great job as always.
I think Tony DiLeo is a Larry Brown with all the postive things minus the things Larry hates (three point shooting, young players getting more minutes). They both pay attention to detail, believe in defense converting to offense, forcing turnovers on the open floor, and executing plays after timeouts. We have not had that coach like that since Larry Brown. Those Sixers teams under Brown would play their hearts out and the home crowds would come by the masses just to see them play hard and aggressive. A long time ago, playing at the Wachovia Center (Formerly the First Union (FU) Center), generally meant a loss for the opponents. We must return to that level and now that the Eagles season is over–we must get those crowds back.
GO SIXERS!!! LET’S CELEBRATE PHILLIES NIGHT WITH A WIN!!
Yes, we changed servers so it’s a new address:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/opinions/blogs/intell_blogs/tom_moore.html
Who would your two or three reserve forwards be in the East? I’ll say Bosh, Rashard Lewis and maybe Prince will back up LeBron and KG. Turkoglu, Granger and Josh Smith are also in the hunt.
Ryan, I think Elton will get plenty of time at the 5 but not as a starter. I fully expect L.Will. and Thad to sub for Sammy and Willie as early as 8 to 10 minutes into a lot of games once Elton gets his starting job back. I can!t wait to see us turn up the heat and quicken the pace when we go from Sam/Elton/Iggy/Willie/A.Miller to Elton/Thad/Iggy/L.Will./[A.Miller,Ivey]. We can push teams hard with our bench and put pressure on because another player is added to our rotation who can PLAY. Speights minutes hopefully don!t go down because he has shown he can be a factor late in games but he is still a young buck and experience wise is slightly behind Thad. I hope we start pressuring the ball even more and hopefully A.Miller!s minutes can be cut some [35 min.?] because we need him fresh come playoff time. Dannie, good job as always!!!!
If Deleo gets reupped next year I wonder if Iavaroni could be part of his staff. Coaching under D!Antoni he may be able to add some wrinkles to our running game.
Rob, excellent thoughts. Dannie, do you have any words of wisdom on his thoughts of Tony vs Larry? I really like Tony, I am a season ticket holder and always clap when his name is announced (I even clapped his first game).
Tony DiLeo has to do it for more than five weeks to be considered in the same breath as Larry Brown, who, for all of his faults, can coach. There’s no guarantee he’ll be back on the bench next year, though it’s possible.
Tom,
Of course you are correct, as usual, but, for discussion sake do you think he will stay as coach if they have a 45 win season? And then, your thoughts or do you think it is entirely too early?
Memphis Fizzlies. Lionel Hollins, Johnny Davis, Mo Cheeks. All could apply defensive pressure in primes, but it takes more than a player resume and name recognition to lead well. Is this franchise satisfied with incubating its talent for now? Making hay with Mayo, Gasol and Gay? Treading water with that staff imo, but Iavaroni did have to go. His 33-90 record (and 7 game losing streak) was approaching Roy Rubin territory – - in half year as Sixers coach, Rubin lost 47 games and won 4; was dismissed at All-Star break … efforts of Tom Van Arsdale, Manny Leaks, John Q. Trapp and John Block didn’t help the former Long Island University coach much in his only NBA job. Player-coach Kevin Loughery rallied the gang to a 5-26 finish. Freddie “Mad Dog” Carter shot with ever-ready conviction, if not wisdom or accuracy. Average attendance at Spectrum that year: 4,461.
Check that, Mo Cheeks NOT going to be an assistant coach for Memphis.
DeanH – As far as the Tony – Larry talk. I agree with Tom. I honestly don’t think we can realistically say we know definitively what type of coach Dileo is right now – or ever depending on coaching duration.
He’s coached 18 total games. Need to see more games, more pressure situations, more adversity and see him coach more players to find trends and where his coaching consistency is.
Also,
You could make the exact same argument for every coach in the NBA by simply replacing what’s in the parentheses. Those two things are big characteristics of Larry Brown as a coach and have been consistent throughout his career. They are definitive coaching traits that can’t be exclusions when saying another coach is similar to him. While…
Those are fairly generic for all coaches. Can you be a good coach without paying attention to detail? What coach doesn’t want to force turnovers? What coach doesn’t understand defense leads to easy offense?
The exclusions suggested are better comparison points. I would argue Dileo ISN’T like Larry Brown because Dileo emphasizes the use of the three point shot, because Dileo has emphasized early offense, getting more shots up and increased pace.
My 2cents.
I’ve been impressed with what DiLeo has done. He is organized and his attention to detail is very good. But the big thing is trying to re-incorporate Brand while still running and keeping Iguodala aggressive at the offensive end. I think a 45-win season could get DiLeo another year IF he wins a round in the playoffs, which would be tough.
“You ready, Philly?” Not for 2.74 turnovers/pg, Elton. That number has to go down. Probably will with a more defined scheme in place, better spacing, clearer options.
On excitement of EB return, coming off 4 day break, Sixers should be able to fend off Knicks’ challenges tonight, though Lee is playing well and Galinari is starting to contribute.
The NY POST says that Gallinari will sit out tonight’s game. The Knicks medical staff does not want him playing back to back games yet.
Bulging disc? I know first-hand whatof they speak. Must be nice to be pampered. Galinari & medical staff, herniated heads … actually, business caution; dollars at drain’s edge. Doggone it, was looking forward to seeing him play.
jjg….Heading out the door right now on our way to tonight’s game. Just wanted to let you know we’re stopping at Chubby’s Steaks again. This is the first time my wife will try them. I’ll let you know if she is of the same mind as we are. Thanks again for the recommendation.
Your welcome. Have a great time, bski! … remember those fries on the side. Hope you see a good one.
oops … you’re
Dannie and Tom,
Thank you for putting some balance into Tony and Larry discussion. Got caught up in it and now see it is way too early. Given that, I am alot happier w/ Tony than I was with Mo this year. I believe the sixers will thrive w/ Elton back in the lineup. More D rebounds equals more transition points in my mind.
With Brand, our team’s rebounding was tremendous! If this is true with more rebounds, you get more possessions. Generally, with more possessions, you win games. Now with Tony DiLeo, who diagrams plays brilliantly, can utilize those extra possessions more.
Also with Brand, it adds another one-on-one defender in the paint along with Dalembert. That way, our guards and forwards can focus more on chasing players off the three point lines and take contested twos. Again, it would give each person on the team accountability on the defensive end. Our excessive double-teams get us into a heap of trouble, thus allowing more threes from the opposition.
Also, even though every game counts. I think there are certain matchups and meetings that we have to really focus on and approach those games like a playoff series: Miami, Detroit, and Atlanta. We must win all of those matchups in case of a tie-breaker(s).
So far:
v.s Atlanta (1-1) –should have been 2-0 with Thad’s great work.
(next meeting: 3/31 at HOME)
v.s Detroit (1-0)– we know AI very well.
(next meetings: 3/29 @ DET, 4/4 at HOME)
v.s Miami (0-1)– I doubt Iggy will score only two points next time.
(next meetings: 2/7 at HOME, 2/21 @ MIA, 3/15 at HOME)
jjg: Is it Chubby’s or Dalesandros which is set up like a diner and has beautiful frosty beer mugs?
Morty: Chubby’s is the diner setting, has more character (and better taste) than competitor across the street. And, yes, it serves beautiful frosty beer. As I remember, the mugs aren’t especially pretty, but they aim to please.
I expect us to have a much better second half, and the main reason for my optimism is Tony DiLeo . I’ve always put a high premium on coaching, good coaching is huge when it comes to wins and losses. I was never a Mo Cheeks fan, nice guy, good player, but not much of a coach. Tony, on the other hand, has impressed me. He’s a no-name guy who has brought organization, logic, and intelligence to the team. He also appears to have a strong knowledge of the game, from an x’s an o’s standpoint, and his a calm disposition is a definite plus. His background is somewhat similair to Greg Poppavich, in that he is an unknown who came out of the front office. Besides the proof is in the pudding, and the pudding, (win-loss record), is saying that the team is playing so much better under Tony DiLeo than they did under Maurice Cheeks.
As far as required ajustment mandated by Elton’s return. I would like to see the best players start. Elton at 4, Sam at 5, Thad at 3, Iguodala at the 2, and Miller at the 1. Drop Willie and Reggie out of the rotation in favor of Ivy and Speights.
As far as where Iggy plays, in my opinion, it should be the 2, he needs to be at the 2. At the 3 he’s undersized (6’6″), however, at the 2 he’s the prefect size. But more importantly, he needs to be on the court with Thad, who is a natural 3, not a 4. Having Thad at the 4 is another mismatch.
Now that Tony is in charge, I believe that things will go much more smoothly with Dre at the 2 and Young at the 3.